LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 4, 2019) – Pre-seeds and brackets for the Big 12 Wrestling Championships this weekend have been released, the conference announced Monday, with Wyoming senior Branson Ashworth earning the top seed at 165 pounds. The tournament is set for March 9-10 in Tulsa, Okla.
 
Overall, nine of the 10 wrestlers in the Wyoming lineup earned top-eight pre-seeds.
 
Ashworth has put together an outstanding senior season thus far, racking up 30 wins for the third time in his career. The Cowboy won all 20 of his dual starts this season and knocked off nine top-20 opponents—far surpassing his previous career best. Ranked No. 8 in the country, Ashworth has recorded 17 bonus point wins this season, including 11 technical falls.
 
Montorie Bridges is set to be seeded No. 3 at 133 pounds following a 27-7 overall regular season. Freshman Tate Samuelson also earns a top-four pre-seed at 184 pounds, following a 21-4 rookie campaign.
 
Redshirt freshman Hayden Hastings and sophomore Brian Andrews are both seeded No. 5 at their respective weight classes. Hastings went 23-10 overall at 174 pounds including three top-12 ranked wins over the course of the year. Andrews finished second on the team in wins with a 29-8 record with 16 dual wins in 20 starts.
 
Cole Verner (125), Sam Turner (141) and Dewey Krueger (157) are each seeded No. 6 at their weight classes. Verner went 20-11 overall with a pair of top-10 wins in his first season in the Cowboy lineup. Turner has been on a tear of late, winning seven straight on the way to finishing the regular season with a 25-10 overall record. Krueger will be making his first Big 12 Championships appearance in 2019 after racking up 17 wins as a junior.
 
Coming off a 22-13 regular season, Cowboy redshirt freshman Cale Davidson is seeded No. 8 at 197 pounds.
 
Tournament pre-seeds and brackets are subject to change following the coaches' meeting on Friday night. Tickets for the Big 12 Championships are on sale now.